Hiram Walker Pumpkin Spice Liqueur

It is the Pumpkin Martini that is one of the most requested cocktails each year between October and December. There are many ways to create such a cocktail, including purees, syrups and other pumpkin-flavored ingredients but a pumpkin liqueur is the easiest way to get the desired effect. That is where Hiram Walker's Pumpkin Spice Liqueur fits in where once only Bols produced this flavor of cordial. This liqueur is only produced during the holiday season and is worth the flavor and convenience if any pumpkin-flavored drink is your desire.

That search for the Pumpkin Martini and the ease that Hiram Walker Pumpkin Spice plays in creating such a drink is the main focus and use of this cocktail. It certainly has its uses in that aspect although you'll find the versions with pumpkin puree compared to this leaving you disappointed if you're looking for real, heavy pumpkin flavoring. I really expected more pumpkin in the liqueur and overall it seems to have too much citrus but the spices are right on.

This liqueur does open itself to enhancement and enhancing numerous styles of cocktails and pairs nicely with whiskey and fruit-infused vodkas. It is certainly a uniquely flavored liqueur that opens itself to experimentation and I found it interesting that it compliments anise liqueurs (ie. absinthe or Marie Brizard) like it does in my Pumpkin Spice Martini. While it doesn't replicate the true flavor of a pumpkin pie it can be seductive to the right palate and like its seasonal counterpart, Gingerbread Liqueur, it is great in an "Russian" drink, in this case named an Autumn Russian.

Tasting Notes:
The fragrance of Pumpkin Spice is dominated by sweet citrus with notes of vanilla and graham crackers. The palate is almost too sweet, although not to the point of being syrupy and the seductive background of pumpkin inlaid with cloves, vanilla and cinnamon overcomes that sweetness. The finish is long and relatively flavorless, leaving me desiring more pumpkin throughout the experience.